Both a noted civil servant under Cromwell's Protectorate and a long-serving member of Parliament during the Restoration, Andrew Marvell (1621–1678) is also the metaphysical poet who gave us such iconic lyrics as "To His Coy Mistress" and "The Garden," and remains one of the most intriguing figures in English literature. He has been variously identified as a patriot, spy, conspirator, closeted homosexual, father to the liberal tradition, and incendiary satirical pamphleteer and freethinker. But while Marvell's poetry has attracted a wide modern following, his prose is known only to specialists, and much of his personal life remains shrouded in mystery. English professor Nigel Smith's biography mines the voluminous corpus of Marvell's previously little-known writings to provide an unparalleled look into his life, from his early employment as a tutor and gentleman's companion to his suspicious death, reputedly a politically fueled poisoning.

"Nigel Smith ... has certainly mastered everything that can be learned about this elusive, shadowy and very private man."—Washington Post

"Smith asks the right questions about Marvell's life and time, and he works assiduously in helping to lay 'a new foundation of the documentary knowledge.'... A worthy biography."—NYTBR